Category: Youth

TGA: A Game Changer for Mid-Atlantic Kids

When you first walk in to the school gym it hits you – the sounds of laughter, fun, and excitement with a distinct buzz of energy. You hear kids happily shouting to a friend, “ok, your turn to hit it to me now!”  As you scan the room, you see faces with smiles that are contagious, and others deep in skillful concentration. There is action everywhere controlled by the coaches in the room that are in the middle of it all, encouraging and guiding the students through their activities.

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This is what you see at a typical TGA Premier Youth Tennis after school program in the Mid-Atlantic.  What you may not see right away though is how this program is changing and benefiting lives – not just through physical activity that all kids need, but through the life lessons the kids are learning and enrichment they are getting through STEM activities too. Review the stats on the impact the program is having, and one can understand why this is a game changer for kids and the sport of tennis in the Mid-Atlantic.

USTA Mid-Atlantic has been offering TGA Premier Youth tennis after school and out-of-school time programs since 2016. In 2017, nearly 4,000 kids in communities across Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia were given the chance to learn tennis and develop personal qualities such as respect, honesty, decision-making and sportsmanship. These kids come from all types of communities – notably, 37 percent of the schools where programs are established service under resourced communities where at least 50 percent of the student population is enrolled in the National Free or Reduced Meal Program.

For some, especially those in under resourced communities, having this type of enrichment program accessible to them is a rarity. This is why USTA Mid-Atlantic is so committed to bringing the program to all types of communities to ensure that kids have a chance to learn tennis, build friendships, develop life skills and play.

We want to reach even more kids and offer these programs at little to no cost to every school in the Mid-Atlantic, but we need your help.

With our spring programs wrapped up and summer programs in action, we are making strong progress to introduce kids to tennis and break down the barriers that get in the way. We need you to help us keep the momentum going and ensure the impact and positive change doesn’t stop.

Here are just some highlights of what we’ve done so far in 2018 in a few of our program areas.

West Virginia

Our TGA after school tennis programs in West Virginia service some of the most under resourced communities, with programs taking place in schools where 100 percent of the student body qualifies for the National Free or Reduced Meal Program. We hit a record of having more than 300 children participating in one season and this spring, 15 scholarships were distributed. Be a game changer and help ensure more kids can get active and play.

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Prince William County, Va.

Prince William is one of our newest areas to offer tennis enrichment programs and one of the most economically diverse as well. The program achieved 300 percent growth for participation compared to the fall 2017 season and awarded more than $800 in scholarships so kids can play. Be a game changer and help us make tennis the most accessible sport in the Mid-Atlantic.

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Loudoun County, Va.

One of our original program areas, students participating in after school and out-of-school time programs are seeing their dedication pay off. Our TGA programs allow players to progress through a five-level color coded path at their own pace. They start at yellow and work toward black level which indicates a strong level of awareness and understanding of the game as well as demonstrated leadership among peers. This spring, two kids participated at the black level which is a first for the Mid-Atlantic. Be a game changer and help us put more kids on the path to success.

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Richmond, Va.

In Richmond, TGA programs were offered at Bensley Elementary which the most economically disadvantaged school in Chesterfield County, servicing a school population with 86 percent qualifying for the National Free or Reduced Meals Program. At this school we were able to award 16 partial scholarships to participants. Be a game changer and help us ensure all kids no matter their background, location, resources, access or ability precludes them from learning the sport of tennis.

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This is just a start; think of what could happen if you help us do even more…

Will you help us make it possible for one more child to experience playing tennis? With every gift, USTA Mid-Atlantic moves one step closer to our vision of bringing tennis to all young people and communities in the Mid-Atlantic and breaking down barriers to entry and play.  Make a tax-deductible gift today to support a new player in the game, one who can champion the sport for others for a lifetime.

If you want to learn more about how USTA Mid-Atlantic is making an impact as a charitable 501(c)3 non-profit, visit www.usta.com/midatlanticimpact and continue to visit our blog for inspiring stories of our tennis community.

Tennis Providers: Earn a FREE Net Generation Tablet from USTA Mid-Atlantic

Don’t miss out! Make sure you and your programs are listed and searchable on NetGeneration.com.

As a Net Generation provider, you know you’ve got the expertise of the USTA, world-class coaching curriculum and innovative digital tools all available to you to help you do incredible things to get kids into tennis.

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Net Generation coaches are shaping the future of tennis! Join them and get free tools and resources. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic wants to make sure you don’t miss out on these great benefits and all that Net Generation has to offer, especially the Program Management Center. This is where you can list all of your programs so that parents seeking tennis instruction and fun for their kids can find you!

Add your programs to the Net Generation Program Management Center and you can be eligible to receive a Tablet ($150) pre-loaded with the Net Generation app from USTA Mid-Atlantic. We’re giving away up to 50 tablets, so hurry and get your programs listed by Friday, July 27.

Requirements to be eligible:

  1. Sign up as a provider on Net Generation and complete all of the registration steps, including approval of your NCSI background screen or complete the process if you have not done so.
  2. Agree to the provider standards in your provider profile. Once logged in to Net Generation, access the Provider Menu and click “Edit Profile.” The checkbox to accept the provider standards is at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Post a public youth tennis program on Net Generation. To be eligible, your program must start between July 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018. For additional information on how to access the Program Management Center, click here.
  4. Programs must be entered prior to July 27, 2018. We have 50 tablets available so post today so you can get your hands on one!

All types of tennis providers have shared how useful the Net Generation tools have been, such as the tennis professionals at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center (MNTC) in Williamsburg, Va. They said, “MNTC loves Net Generation because it is an all-encompassing yet simplified and universal developmental platform for kids to succeed in tennis.  We love the ease and applicability of the assessments, competencies and curriculum. Net Generation connects our parents, players & coaches which will only continue to grow not only our junior programs, but tennis worldwide.”

For questions or assistance, please email Natalie Rogers at rogers@mas.usta.com.

Review the Summer Tablet Promotion_Official Rules.

Turning Love into Aces

Since 2013, USTA Mid-Atlantic’s Junior Player Scholarship Program has supported young tennis players and their families through financial awards that help with costs associated with learning, developing, and competing in tennis. This program aims to help more children get into tennis so that ALL can play and gain the healthy, lifelong benefits of the sport. 

The scholarship program depends on generous donations and when you give, you support players like Jelani, who wrote this letter to share how meaningful the USTA Mid-Atlantic Junior Player Scholarship Program is and how it helped him and his family.

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Dear USTA Mid-Atlantic:

My name is Jelani Sarr, and I am 13 years old. All my life I’ve been playing the game I love – tennis. Since no one in my family has ever played tennis, how I started playing tennis is kind of an unusual story.

My story starts with me, my cousin, and my stepdad, waiting for my mom outside of the local library. While she was inside getting books, my stepdad, who I call my Uncle Coach, was trying to keep me and my cousin busy by having us hit some tennis balls against the wall with some old wooden racquets he had in his trunk. I was only three years old. Since that day, I’ve played other sports, like football and wrestling, but I kept coming back to tennis. It just stuck. I’ve been playing competitive tennis ever since.

Tennis has made multiple impacts on my life. For one, I travel to places in the United States that are beautiful! I also meet new friends among my fellow players. When we are not on the tennis court, we don’t see each other as competitors but as friends. My parents’ lives have also been affected because they get to travel with me. They have supported me all my life and have never given up on me; we have grown so much together.

A proud moment for me, where I felt like I have given back to my parents, was when I received a Sportsmanship award after winning my first National tournament. To cap it all off, the tournament sponsor let me wear his Golden State Warriors championship ring. I felt like a real warrior that day!

I would like to say thank you to the USTA Mid-Atlantic scholarship program and to everyone who supports it. This scholarship has been so important to me and my family because it makes me feel good to see my parents receiving something for a change. My parents have worked really hard to provide me with opportunities in the sport of tennis and given me tools to go as far as I can. This scholarship is recognition for all tennis parents and their hard work for turning all their love into our aces.

Sincerely,

Jelani Sarr

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Jelani is an avid competitor in tennis tournaments across the nation.  He received a USTA Mid-Atlantic Junior Player Scholarship in 2017 and wrote this thank you letter to USTA Mid-Atlantic at the time.

USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 54-1472806. All donations made to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Inc. are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

A Coach’s Secret to Keeping New Players in the Game

By: Jeremy Carl

What is the easiest way to get any player new to tennis to keep playing?  Whether it’s beginner adults or 10 and under junior players, the ROGY Progression is without a doubt the best way.

For those unfamiliar, ROGY stands for Red, Orange, Green, Yellow – the color of the balls that can be used to teach kids and adult beginners in a more effective way. Red balls are the lowest compression and larger than the traditional yellow ball, meaning they don’t bounce as high and are easier to control. Orange balls have slightly higher compression than red balls and are the same size as yellow balls. The last step before traditional yellow balls is the green ball, which is similar to playing with a yellow ball but slows down the game and helps lengthen rallies through its lower compression.

I have really seen and experienced the benefits of using this progression in two ways:

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Jeremy Carl with his daughter accepting his USPTA Mid-Atlantic Pro of the Year Award in 2016. Photo: Mount Vernon Athletic Club

  1. My own seven-year-old daughter grew up using red balls since age three and half and is now loving playing orange ball level USTA tournaments
  2. Adults in beginner group classes learn how to
    rally from their first-ever tennis class by using red or orange balls from the get go

Here are the top reasons I’ve seen that make the USTA’s ROGY progression is so effective:

  • Helps Incorporate Fun Right Away – More than anything, my daughter loves playing the sport. A big reason for that is by using the ROGY progression throughout her learning process, she learned the sport through a game-based approach. She is not a fan of “drills.” (What kid is?) The only time she does like them is if she comes up with one herself.  Using red and orange balls have allowed her to rally and play games from an early age.
  • Helps Players Learn Situations in Tennis – Tennis is an open sport, and points develop in unexpected ways. However, sometimes lessons are too dependent on hitting in a closed environment, repeatedly hitting a forehand down the line for example.  Every world-class tennis player has learned how to play tennis as a game of situations, not as a game of perfection. Repetition is important but learning how to navigate points is also an extremely important skill to nurture. For example, you can coach players on ball recognition and making contact in the strike zone.

One game to develop these skills can be done by having an orange ball player at one baseline and a partner standing at the other baseline with a ball. The player with the ball tosses it to the other side of the court. Once the ball crosses the net, the player receiving the ball immediately calls out either “Defend,” “Hold,” or “Attack” and catches the ball between their waist and shoulder, slightly out in front of their body. If a player calls out the correct ball recognition and catches it in the strike zone, they get two points.  If a player just does one of the two, they get one point.  You can do this yourself when you go on court with a friend or if you are a coach, have teams compete against each other in class. Once they understand those two principles, you have the basis for learning about offensive, defensive and neutral court positioning.

  • Allows them to Practice Playing Front Court at an Early Age – One of the biggest coaching benefits of using the ROGY progression is that kids feel confident playing in the front court from an early age. They know the ball doesn’t hurt them even if it hits them, and it’s much easier to learn the correct footwork and volley form with the appropriate ball and court size. In the first TennisBASH my daughter played in, one of the first winning shots she hit in her doubles match was a volley winner at the net as the server’s partner. She did it with all the confidence in the world and with a split step before hitting the volley.
  • Helps Adults Enjoy Rallying Right Away – One of biggest themes I learned from completing the Adult Development PTR certification was that using orange or red balls are critical for early success of adults who are learning the game. It allows them to play a variety of rally games, learn footwork, contact point, ball recognition and other items through playing the game from the beginning, which they actually enjoy!

If you’re just starting out, ask about learning on red or orange balls. You won’t be disappointed.

  • Allows players to practice hitting shots with a purpose – Whether it be live ball drill, racket fed or hand toss drill, the balls allow kids to hit to a certain part of the court. Since the ball bounces at the appropriate height for their age, the ball can come to their optimal strike zone more easily, and therefore they can practice hitting down the line or crosscourt with correct swing path. This was one of the key principles I learned from being involved in the USTA Player Development National Early Development Camps.
  • Makes it Easier to Develop Proper Service Motion Early – One of the most important fundamentals on serve is swinging the racquet up toward the ball with full extension and rotating, regardless of a flat serve or spin serve.  When juniors use the appropriate color ball for their age, it gives them the confidence to hit through the ball since the balls actually weigh less.  This has made huge difference in my daughter learning the building blocks of the serve that allow her to play in USTA tournaments with confidence on her serve motion.
  • Helps Players Learn Proper Footwork – Studies have shown that players learning with this ball progression develop similar court footwork fundamentals to the pros. The appropriate size court helps build a foundation of footwork movement that they can develop as they grow bigger and taller.  It also helps them enjoy the movement of tennis because they’ll be able to reach more balls during a rally.

You want to get more people in the game of tennis? The answer is start off juniors or adults in the ROGY ball progression. Whether you’re a longtime coach or introducing the game to friends, or even getting yourself or your child in the game, using the proper ball can make a big difference in how much others enjoy playing tennis.

Look for red, orange and green balls in most places that sell tennis equipment. For more information on court sizes and ROGY progression in youth players, click here.

Jeremy Carl is a USPTA Elite Professional, PTR Professional and Safe Play-certified USTA High Performance Coach with Net Generation. He was named the 2016 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Pro of the Year and is currently coaching at Belle Haven Country Club after coaching at Mount Vernon Athletic Club in recent years.

A Coach’s Perspective on the TennisBASH

By Jeremy Carl

How do you get 7-10 year olds on a Saturday night during the summer playing tennis for two hours straight having the best time?  The answer is USTA TennisBASH, a new tournament format gaining popularity all across the Mid-Atlantic.

A USTA TennisBASH is two-hour timed non-elimination round robin event with food, music and off-court games for the players.  My seven-year-old daughter participated and has loved it ever since. As coach and father it was great to see for several reasons:

  • Fun – Kids get chance to compete in a very fun and friendly atmosphere and get to experience their first tournament in a way that focuses on letting them enjoy playing. I will never forget that after the event was over, my daughter still wanted to hit with me for twenty more minutes.
  • Learn doubles at an early age – While the specific format is up to the Tournament Director kids will play one or two rounds of doubles. Not only will they play doubles but they will play learning the proper positioning of the server, server’s partner, returner and returner’s partner.  The advantage of playing on a correctly-size court is that it allows young players to position themselves just like the pros do.
  • Expands Your Skill Set as a Coach – Most of my coaching career has been coaching players as opposed to running tournaments. However getting started running these TennisBASHes has only expanded my knowledge and skill set in expanding the game of tennis.

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    Jeremy’s daughter and a friend enjoying some of the off-court aspects of the TennisBASH

  • Provides a fun playing opportunity for kids in your program – One of the biggest joys I have had as a tennis coach was seeing that 90% of the players in our first TennisBASG at our club were from our program. It was great to see them have the opportunity to start the tournament playing process in such a fun way.
  • Helps coaches focus on coaching kids to learn how to play tennis and not just drill – Our club has always focused on coaching the game to turn our students into players of the game not just drillers on the court. The fact that we were holding a TennisBASH only helped ensure our coaching was much more efficient and effective to help kids get ready to do the five basic situations in playing the sport which are: Rallying from the baseline, coming to the net, dealing with opponent coming to net, serving, and returning.
  • Provides exposure for your program – One of the most effective ways to get people into the doors of your club is hold events that both parents and kids find fun and productive. The Tennis Bash achieves both. Kids are having nonstop fun on the court and the parents get to see that themselves.

So next time you are looking to provide a fun 10 and under event that allows healthy, safe, and competitive competition try a USTA Tennis Bash. Who is ready to Bash?

Jeremy Carl is a USPTA Elite Professional, PTR Professional and USTA High Performance Coach. He was named the 2016 USPTA Mid-Atlantic Pro of the Year and is currently coaching at Belle Haven Country Club after coaching at Mount Vernon Athletic Club in recent years.